Keweenaw Report Your Source for Local News and Sports
Hancock: Donald G. Lundin, 89, of Hancock, passed away on Wednesday morning, March 14, 2018 at Portage Pointe of U.P. Health System- Portage in Hancock.
He was born in Calumet on October 25, 1928, a son of the late Carl “Ed” and Anna (Rompainen) Lundin. He attended local schools and graduated from Calumet High School in 1946. Before leaving the area in September of 1949, he worked at Calumet & Hecla Mining Company as a draftsman. He began his employment with General Motors at Chevrolet Motor Division in Warren, Michigan in their 2 year draftsman training program. After 1 year, he was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War and a radar operator and draftsman plotter in artillery observation. After 2 years he resumed his training with Chevrolet. He held the positions of detail draftsman, senior detailer, junior layout, senior layout, and senior design supervisor. He preferred designing to supervision and was assigned to design groups as senior designer and assistant design supervisor.
For several years he attended evening classes at the University of Michigan, the Detroit College of Science, and the Mazzatta School of Chassis Design.
In 1982 Cadillac needed help in designing a new front wheel drive vehicle for 1984 and he was put on loan to design the front suspension and steering geometry. He was granted a U.S. Patent on September 30, 1986 for his design. He was kept on loan from Chevrolet to do design work on a mid-size car for Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac Motor Divisions until his retirement on July 1, 1986.
He was united in marriage to Janice Pawsey of Hereford, England on September 7, 1960. She preceded him in death on February 8, 2008. He was re-married to the former Bette (Hodges) Reed on July 15, 2012 in a ceremony at the First United Methodist Church of Hancock.
Besides his parents and first wife, he was also preceded in death by an older brother, Carl. He is survived by his wife, Bette of Hancock; two sisters: Margaret Mattila of Mohawk and Elsie Powers of Milford, MI; and by several nieces and nephews in the United States and England.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, March 16, 2018 at the First United Methodist Church of Hancock with Pastor Scott Lindenberg to officiate. Interment will be in the Lake View Cemetery of Calumet in the spring. Friends may call at the church on Friday from 10 A.M. until the time of services.
The O’Neill-Dennis Funeral Home of Hancock is in charge of the arrangements.
